Strive for the Kingdom

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to prioritize our actions by striving to live as members of the Body of Christ.

Building the Kingdom

The reading from the Second Letter of Chronicles describes the death of Joash.

Psalm 89 praises God’s Covenant with David.

* [Psalm 89] The community laments the defeat of the Davidic king, to whom God promised kingship as enduring as the heavens (Ps 89:2–5). The Psalm narrates how God became king of the divine beings (Ps 89:6–9) and how the Davidic king became king of earthly kings (Ps 89:20–38). Since the defeat of the king calls into question God’s promise, the community ardently prays God to be faithful to the original promise to David (Ps 89:39–52). (Psalms, PSALM 89 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew warns against serving Two Masters and exhorts us to Not Worry.

* [6:24] Mammon: an Aramaic word meaning wealth or property.

* [6:25–34] Jesus does not deny the reality of human needs (Mt 6:32), but forbids making them the object of anxious care and, in effect, becoming their slave.

* [6:27] Life-span: the Greek word can also mean “stature.” If it is taken in that sense, the word here translated moment (literally, “cubit”) must be translated literally as a unit not of time but of spatial measure. The cubit is about eighteen inches.

* [6:30] Of little faith: except for the parallel in Lk 12:28, the word translated of little faith is found in the New Testament only in Matthew. It is used by him of those who are disciples of Jesus but whose faith in him is not as deep as it should be (see Mt 8:26; 14:31; 16:8 and the cognate noun in Mt 17:20).

* [6:33] Righteousness: see note on Mt 3:14–15. (Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Steve Scholer comments that life itself can be overwhelming. There are plenty of negative events each of us may face, including the death of a loved one, a divorce, losing one’s job, a serious medical diagnosis, or financial hardship.

With so much heaped upon us, where do we turn? To whom do we ask for help and guidance? Our family and friends can be a great source of support, but the best thing to do is to take our worries to the Lord. Let God know what is overwhelming you. Share your fears and anxieties with God and ask him to take them from you.

In your prayer today, acknowledge that in all things it is God who is in control, and that because of his infinite love for each of us, and because he accepts us regardless of our frailties and faults, we need not worry. With this burden off our shoulders, we can live a joyful life serving the Lord. (Scholer, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “The value of life,” by John Chrysostom, 547-407 A.D.

"Note the acceleration of images: just when the lilies are decked out, he no longer calls them lilies but 'grass of the field' (Matthew 6:30 ). He then points further to their vulnerable condition by saying 'which are here today.' Then he does not merely say 'and not tomorrow' but rather more callously 'cast into the oven.' These creatures are not merely 'clothed but 'so clothed' in this way as to be later brought to nothing. Do you see how Jesus everywhere abounds in amplifications and intensifications? And he does so in order to press his points home. So then he adds, 'Will he not much more clothe you?' The force of the emphasis is on 'you' to indicate covertly how great is the value set upon your personal existence and the concern God shows for you in particular. It is as though he were saying, 'You, to whom he gave a soul, for whom he fashioned a body, for whose sake he made everything in creation, for whose sake he sent prophets, and gave the law, and wrought those innumerable good works, and for whose sake he gave up his only begotten Son.'" (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 22.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 6:24-34 asks what does it mean to seek first the kingdom? It means to seek Jesus himself. Seek him before all else, and as we do, he will change our attitudes, our priorities, and even the things we worry about. He will help us to trust in his provision. What might this look like? Let’s start with prayer.

God honors your efforts to worship him; he changes your heart so that it reflects his own. He makes it humbler, simpler, more loving. And that affects everything else.

It changes the way you relate to your family. You find joy in expecting not to be served at home but to serve your family members. When you seek to love as Jesus loves, you create a loving environment in your home, where strained relationships can be healed.

It changes the way you approach your work. You try to honor God whether or not you get rewarded for it. As you take the focus off yourself, your performance might even improve!

It changes your perspective. You start to see with Jesus’ eyes what you really need and what’s not essential. With that new outlook, you might even realize you’re the richest person in the world!

So seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness. Because as you do, you will receive the blessing of becoming more and more like Jesus and sharing his love in every area of your life.

“Lord, help me to seek you above all things.” (Meditation on Matthew 6:24-34, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on how the priest who saved Joash is stoned to death as a consequence of bringing back the cult of pagan objects. Matthew expresses Jesus' proclamation that we cannot serve two masters. Friar Jude reminds us that we are in the world but not of the world when we do not forget the needs of the poor.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces indigenous author and poet Pixie Lighthorse who names the conscious care and attention we must give to our wounds in order for them to heal.

Yes, we humans can power through—and it is a most helpful skill when it is used in the short term to get through the immediate tasks at hand. Over long periods, hyper-strengthening has a tightening effect—cutting off the flow of oxygen to whatever within us is still seeking healing.  

The tissue is pale at the site where the wound is held, and my body has experienced problems in places like these. Where there is constriction, there is no air or blood flow. Our parts are cut off from the whole, separated and over-protected, if not strangulated.  

Breathe deep and long into these areas, bringing conscious awareness into the constricted focal points, warming them with your breath and even physical touch. Let your breath be deep and prolonged over tight areas; this is akin to the act of stretching muscles that have been engaged in heavy lifting, giving them space and the opportunity to repair. Growth happens on the emotional and spiritual level when you work an area and give equal time to relaxing it with the spaciousness of your care and attention.  

I allow oxygen to infuse my cells with life force,  

breathing into the constricted places in my body  

that have grown tight with fear. (Rohr, n.d.)

We may find ourselves very busy and occupied with the tasks of our daily lives and we are invited to seek the peace of guidance by the Spirit to transform our actions into movements toward fullness of life in Jesus Way.

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 22, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6 

Meditation on Matthew 6:24-34. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 22, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/06/22/1005562/ 

Psalms, PSALM 89 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 22, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/89?4 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 22, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/ 

Scholer, S. (2024, June 22). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved June 22, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/062224.html 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 22, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jun22 

2 Chronicles, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 22, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2chronicles/24?17 

God and Wealth

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today underline the connection between our community and our call to use our gifts as followers of Christ.

God and Wealth

The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans contains greetings to and a final Doxology.

* [16:1–23] Some authorities regard these verses as a later addition to the letter, but in general the evidence favors the view that they were included in the original. Paul endeavors through the long list of greetings (Rom 16:3–16, 21–23) to establish strong personal contact with congregations that he has not personally encountered before. The combination of Jewish and Gentile names dramatically attests the unity in the gospel that transcends previous barriers of nationality, religious ceremony, or racial status.

* [16:25–27] This doxology is assigned variously to the end of Rom 14; 15; 16 in the manuscript tradition. Some manuscripts omit it entirely. Whether written by Paul or not, it forms an admirable conclusion to the letter at this point.

* [16:25] Paul’s gospel reveals the mystery kept secret for long ages: justification and salvation through faith, with all the implications for Jews and Gentiles that Paul has developed in the letter. (Romans, CHAPTER 16, n.d.)

Psalm 145 praises the Greatness and the Goodness of God.

* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity. (Psalms, PSALM 145, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus shares the application of the Parable of the Dishonest Steward and teaches about the Law and the Kingdom of God.

* [16:9] Dishonest wealth: literally, “mammon of iniquity.” Mammon is the Greek transliteration of a Hebrew or Aramaic word that is usually explained as meaning “that in which one trusts.” The characterization of this wealth as dishonest expresses a tendency of wealth to lead one to dishonesty. Eternal dwellings: or, “eternal tents,” i.e., heaven.

* [16:10–12] The second conclusion recommends constant fidelity to those in positions of responsibility.

* [16:13] The third conclusion is a general statement about the incompatibility of serving God and being a slave to riches. To be dependent upon wealth is opposed to the teachings of Jesus who counseled complete dependence on the Father as one of the characteristics of the Christian disciple (Lk 12:22–39). God and mammon: see note on Lk 16:9. Mammon is used here as if it were itself a god. (Luke, CHAPTER 16, n.d.)

Andy Alexander, S.J. (2011) comments that we can't have it both ways. There is an incompatibility between these two types of service. Serving God is irreconcilable with worldly wealth. We can't have two masters.

The message of Jesus is incredibly strong and clear about the dangers of wealth - the very thing we seem to want to pursue with such passion and energy. Jesus doesn't teach us about this way of life to make us miserable, but to reveal to us that placing him at the center of our lives is the way to happiness. We can't serve two masters. Today, each of us can ask ourselves if the Lord is the center of our lives. What possession, possessions, honors, status, future security, dream is standing in the way of my choice to completely live as he has taught us? What things, what ways of living, what dependencies, what desires have some mastery over my life? What freedom can I ask for today? Who around me is in greater need than I am? What changes do all of us need to make - what cultural change is necessary - for us all to make this world the place that Jesus desires for us, for everyone?

Dear Jesus, thank you for these challenging words today. Thank you for inviting me to make a fundamental choice in my life - a choice to let you be the center of my life and to be freer from what's holding on to my heart and freer for love and service of others. May your Word continue to free us all until your kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Alexander, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus recommends the foresight, prudence, and ingenuity of the steward,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Mammon is the Hebrew word for 'riches,' just as in Punic the word for 'profit' is mammon. What are we to do? What did the Lord command? 'Make yourselves friends with the mammon of iniquity, so that they too, when you begin to fail, may receive you into eternal shelters.' It is easy, of course, to understand that we must give alms and a helping hand to the needy, because Christ receives it in them... We can understand that we have to give alms and that we must not really pick and choose to whom we give them, because we are unable to sift through people's hearts. When you give alms to all different types of people, then you will reach a few who deserve them. You are hospitable, and you keep your house ready for strangers. Let in the unworthy, in case the worthy might be excluded. You cannot be a judge and sifter of hearts." (excerpt from Sermon 359A.11-12) (Schwager, 2021)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27 comments that in this long list of names, we hear Paul the brother more than Paul the preacher. We hear a pastor conveying heartfelt affection for his companions in the faith. Behind these names are countless stories of shared meals, late-night conversations, laughter, tears, celebrations, and common hardships. Each name represents a unique story of someone who has met the risen Christ and has been baptized into his new life.

Today is a good day to praise the Lord for those who have shaped your life and opened your heart to Jesus. Praise him for those ancestors who have passed down the gift of faith and for those in your church community who have prayed for you and with you. Let your gratitude pour forth for all of them—members of the family of faith!

“Jesus, thank you for the brothers and sisters who journey with me on the way of discipleship.” (Meditation on Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the last chapter of the letter to the Romans, Paul is writing to a community he has never visited. The practice of sending copies of the Letters to many communities may explain how this text may be the letter copied for Ephesus. Friar Jude reminds us of the exhortation in the Gospel that we cannot sit on the fence, the Gospel must be the centre of our lives. 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares a practice of embodied gratitude from meditation teacher Kaira Jewel Lingo.

Let yourself bring to mind other things you feel grateful for. How your body is still functioning right now, your heart still beating, your lungs expanding and retracting, your skin protecting your flesh.  

Let yourself connect with gratitude for the presence of beloved people or pets in your life, or someone who has been supportive of you in the past. Connect with the ways they were present for you and how they made a difference in your life…. 

Now let yourself open to gratitude for the world around you, the Earth that is supporting you right now, the sun that shows up each day, the air that sustains all life, water, the stars, the oceans. Feel the gift of life that is pulsing through your veins now and let yourself feel thankful for it. Feel the gift of life that surrounds you every moment, everywhere you go.  

Feel this gratitude in your body. Let yourself be nurtured, strengthened by it. (Rohr, 2023)

We pause in gratitude for the community that strengthens us and express our thanksgiving for the guidance of the Spirit in our daily choices that move us to serve the Will of God.

References

Alexander, A. (2023, November 11). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/111123.html 

Luke, CHAPTER 16. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/16?9 

Meditation on Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/11/11/825256/ 

Psalms, PSALM 145. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/145?2 

Rohr, R. (2023, November 11). Gratitude and Grace: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/gratitude-and-grace-weekly-summary/ 

Romans, CHAPTER 16. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/16?3 

Schwager, D. (2021, September 22). Who Will Entrust to You the True Riches? Daily Scripture net. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=nov11